Usimare Setepenamun Osorkon II was a pharaoh of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and the son of Takelot I and Queen Kapes. He ruled Egypt around 872 BC to 837 BC from Tanis, the capital of this Dynasty. After succeeding his father, he was faced with the competing rule of his cousin, king Harsiese A, who controlled both Thebes and the Western Oasis of Egypt. Osorkon feared the serious challenge posed by Harsiese's kingship to his authority, but, when Harsiese conveniently died in 860 BC, Osorkon II ensured that this problem would not recur by appointing his own son Nimlot C as High Priest of Amun at Thebes. His younger son Shoshenq was made High Priest of Ptah at Memphis. In this period in Egypt's history, priestly and political power were at their most inseparable. Pharaoh (Arabic فرعون ; Hebrew פַּרְעֹה ; Geez ፈርዖን Färʻon) is a title used to refer to the rulers of Egypt in the pre-Christian and pre-Islamic period. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Twenty-Second Dynasty. ... Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takelot I was a son of Osorkon I and Queen Tashedkhons, and the father of Osorkon II. He ruled Egypt for 13 Years according to Manetho. ... Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 920s BC 910s BC 900s BC 890s BC 880s BC - 870s BC - 860s BC 850s BC 840s BC 830s BC 820s BC Events and trends 879 BC - Death of Zhou yi wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China. ... Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 880s BC 870s BC 860s BC 850s BC 840s BC - 830s BC - 820s BC 810s BC 800s BC 790s BC 780s BC Events and Trends 836 BC - Shalmaneser III of Egypt. ... or Tanis (Τάνις), the Greek name of ancient Djanet (modern صان الحجر Ṣān al-Ḥaǧar), is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of Egypt (). It lays on the Tanitic branch of the Nile (now silted up), and it was the supposed site of some of the action in the film... King Hedjkheperre Setepenamun Harsiese or Harsiese A, is viewed by the eminent scholar Kenneth Kitchen in his books on the Third Intermediate Period in Egypt, to be both a High Priest of Amun(HPA) and the son of the High Priest of Amun, Shoshenq C. The archaeological evidence does suggest... Thebes For the ancient capital of Boeotia, see Thebes, Greece. ... Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 910s BC 900s BC 890s BC 880s BC 870s BC - 860s BC - 850s BC 840s BC 830s BC 820s BC 810s BC Events and Trends 865 BC - Kar Kalmaneser was conquered by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III 864 BC... Memphis was the ancient capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt from its foundation until around 1300 BC. The ruins are 19 km (12 mi. ...

According to a recent JEA 81(1995) paper by Karl Jansen-Winkeln, king Harsiese A, and his son [..du] were only ordinary Priests of Amun, rather than High Priests of Amun, as was previously assumed. The inscription on the Koptos lid for [..du], Harsiese A's son, never once gives him the title of High Priest. Jansen-Winkeln, demonstrates that the High Priest Harsiese who served is attested in statue CGC 42225--which mentions this High Priest and is dated explicitly under Osorkon II--was, in fact, Harsiese B. The High Priest Harsiese B served Osorkon II in his final 3 years. This statue was dedicated by the Letter Writer to Pharaoh Hor IX, who was one of the most powerful men in his time(see D. Aston JEA 75(1989), p.152). However, Hor IX almost certainly lived during the end of Osorkon II's reign since he features on Temple J in Karnak which was built late in this Pharaoh's reign, along with the serving High Priest Takelot F(son of the High Priest Nimlot C and future Takelot II). Hor IX later served under both Shoshenq III, Pedubast I and Shoshenq VI.(see Aston, p.152) This means that the High Priest Harsiese mentioned on statue CGC 42225 must be the second Harsiese: Harsiese B. King Hedjkheperre Setepenamun Harsiese or Harsiese A, is viewed by the eminent scholar Kenneth Kitchen in his books on the Third Intermediate Period in Egypt, to be both a High Priest of Amun(HPA) and the son of the High Priest of Amun, Shoshenq C. The archaeological evidence does suggest... The first Harsiese, King Hedjkheperre Setepenamun Harsiese A, is generally assumed to be a High Priest of Amun(HPA) and the son of the High Priest Shoshenq C before he became a king at Thebes. ... Shoshenq VI is known to be Pedubast Is immediate successor at Thebes based upon the career of the Letter Writer to Pharaoh Hor IX, who served under Osorkon II and Pedubast I (see Hor IXs statue--CGC 42226--which is explicitly dated to Pedubasts reign). ... The first Harsiese, King Hedjkheperre Setepenamun Harsiese A, is generally assumed to be a High Priest of Amun(HPA) and the son of the High Priest Shoshenq C before he became a king at Thebes. ...

Foreign policy and monumental program

Despite his astuteness in dealings with matters at home, Osorkon was forced to be more aggressive on the international scene. The growing power of Assyria meant the latter's increased meddling in the affairs of Israel and Syria – territories well within Egypt's sphere of influence. In 853 BC, Osorkon's forces, in a coalition with those of Israel and Byblos, defeated the army of Shalmaneser III at the Battle of Qarqar thereby halting Assyrian expansion in Canaan, albeit only briefly. Relief from Assyrian capital of Dur Sharrukin, showing transport of Lebanese cedar (8th c. ... Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 900s BC 890s BC 880s BC 870s BC 860s BC - 850s BC - 840s BC 830s BC 820s BC 810s BC 800s BC Years: 859 BC 858 BC 857 BC 856 BC 855 BC 854 BC 853 BC 852 BC... The ruins of the Crusader castle in Byblos. ... Shalmaneser III (Å ulmānu-aÅ¡arÄ“du, the god Shulmanu is pre-eminent) was king of Assyria (859 BC-824 BC), and son of the previous ruler, Ashurnasirpal II. His long reign was a constant series of campaigns against the eastern tribes, the Babylonians, the nations of Mesopotamia and Syria... The Battle of Karkar (or Qarqar) was fought in 853 BC when the army of Assyria, led by king Shalmaneser III, encountered an allied army of 12 kings led by Hadadezer of Damascus. ... For other uses, see Canaan (disambiguation). ...

Osorkon II devoted considerable resources into his building projects by adding to the temple of Bastet at Bubastis which featured a substantial new hall decorated with scenes depicting his Sed festival and images of his Queen Karomama. Mutemhat was another of his wives. Monumental construction was also performed at Thebes, Memphis, Tanis and Leontopolis. Osorkon II also built Temple J at Karnak during the final years of his reign, which was decorated by his then serving High Priest Takelot F(the future Takelot II). Takelot F was the son of the deceased High Priest Nimlot C and, thus, Osorkon II's grandson. Osorkon II was the last great Twenty-second Dynasty king of Tanis who ruled Egypt from the Delta to Upper Egypt because his successor, Shoshenq III lost effectively control of Middle and Upper Egypt in his 8th Year with the emergence of king Pedubast I at Thebes. In Egyptian mythology, Bast (also spelt Ubasti, and Pasht) is an ancient goddess, worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty, for whom the centre of her cult was in Per-Bast (Bubastis in greek), which was named after her. ... Bubastis is an Ancient Egyptian city, located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt. ... The sed festival (or heb sed) was an Ancient Egyptian ceremony held to celebrate the continued rule of a pharaoh. ... or Tanis (Τάνις), the Greek name of ancient Djanet (modern صان الحجر Ṣān al-Ḥaǧar), is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of Egypt (). It lays on the Tanitic branch of the Nile (now silted up), and it was the supposed site of some of the action in the film... Leontopolis is the Greek name for the Ancient Egyptian city known as Taremu in ancient times and as Tell al Muqdam today. ... Map of Karnak, showing major temple complexes Interior of Temple Al-Karnak (Arabic الكرنك) is a small village in Egypt, located on the banks of the River Nile some 2. ... Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takelot II Si-Ese Meryamun was a Twenty-Third Dynasty pharaoh of Ancient Egypt in Middle and Upper Egypt (840 - 815 BC). ... King Usimare Setepenamun Shoshenq III ruled Egypts 22nd Dynasty for 39 Years according to contemporary historical records. ... Pedubastis I or Pedubast I (fl c. ...

Reign length

Osorkon II died around 837 BC and is buried in Tomb NRT I at Tanis. He is now believed to have enjoyed a reign well in excess of 30 Years, rather than just 25 Years. The celebrations of his first Sed Jubilee was traditionally thought to have occurred in his 22nd Year but the Heb Sed date in his Great Temple of Bubastis is damaged and can be also be read as Year 30, as Edward Wente noted in a JNES 35(1976) aticle. The fact that this king's own grandson, Takelot F, served him as High Priest of Amun at Thebes–as the inscribed Walls of Temple J prove–supports the hypothesis of a longer reign for Osorkon II. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Nile Quay Text No.14 (dated to Year 29 of an Usimare Setepenamun) belongs to Osorkon II on palaeographical grounds (see page 174-178 of G. Broekman's JEA 88(2002) analysis of the Karnak Quay Texts). This finding suggests that Osorkon II likely did celebrate his first Heb Sed in his 30th Year as was traditionally the case with other Libyan era Pharaohs such as Shoshenq III and Shoshenq V. In addition, a Year 22 stela from his reign preserves no mention of any Heb Sed celebrations in this year as would be expected, (see Von Beckerath). While Osorkon II's precise reign length is unknown, some Egyptologists such as Von Beckerath – in his 1997 book Chronology of the Egyptian Pharaohs – and David Aston have suggested a range of between 38 to 45 years. However, these high figures are not verified by the current monumental evidence. Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 880s BC 870s BC 860s BC 850s BC 840s BC - 830s BC - 820s BC 810s BC 800s BC 790s BC 780s BC Events and Trends 836 BC - Shalmaneser III of Egypt. ... The sed festival (or heb sed) was an Ancient Egyptian ceremony held to celebrate the continued rule of a pharaoh. ... The Nile Quay Texts (or Nile Level Texts) are enscribed on the quay at the temple of Karnak, in Thebes, Egypt. ... Stele is also a concept in plant biology. ... Jürgen von Beckerath (born 19 February 1920) is a German egyptologist. ... Egyptologist is the designation given to an archaeologist or historian who specialises in Egyptology, the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and its antiquities. ...

Successor

Osorkon II was succeeded by Shoshenq III at Tanis rather than Takelot II Si-Ese as was previously assumed because none of Takelot II's monuments have been found in Lower Egypt where other genuine Tanite kings such as Osorkon II, Shoshenq III and even the short-lived Pami(at 6-7 Years) are mentioned on donation stelas, temple walls and/or annal documents. The only documents which mention a king Takelot here--such as a Royal Tomb at Tanis, a Year 9 donation stela from Bubastis and a heart scarab featuring the nomen 'Takelot Meryamun'--have now been attributed exclusively to Takelot I. Aidan Dodson, in his 1994 book, The Canopic Equipment of the Kings of Egypt, observes that Shoshenq III built "a dividing wall, with a double scene showing Osorkon II" and himself "each adoring an unnamed deity" in the antechamber of Osorkon II's tomb.(p.95) Dodson concludes that while one may argue Shoshenq III erected the wall to hide Osorkon II's sarcophagus, it made no sense for Shoshenq to create such an elaborate relief if Takelot II had really intervened between him and Osorkon II at Tanis for 25 years unless Shoshenq III was Osorkon II's immediate successor. Shoshenq III must, hence, have wished to associate himself with his predecessor: Osorkon II.(p.95) Consequently, the case for establishing Takelot II as a Twenty-second Dynasty king and successor to Osorkon II disappears, as the author writes. Other scholars such as David Aston and Jansen-Winkeln have also endorsed this position--the latter in his JEA 81 paper. King Usimare Setepenamun Shoshenq III ruled Egypts 22nd Dynasty for 39 Years according to contemporary historical records. ... Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takelot II Si-Ese Meryamun was a Twenty-Third Dynasty pharaoh of Ancient Egypt in Middle and Upper Egypt (840 - 815 BC). ... Map of Upper and Lower Egypt Ancient Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, known as Upper and Lower Egypt. ... Pami was an Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled Egypt for 7 years. ...

Tomb

The French excavator, Pierre Montet discovered Osorkon II's thoroughly plundered royal tomb at Tanis on February 27, 1939. It revealed that Osorkon II was buried in a massive granite sarcophagus with a lid carved from a Ramesside era statue. Only some fragments of a Hawk-headed coffin and canopic jars remained in the robbed tomb to identify him.[1] Pierre Montet (1885 — 1966) was a French Egyptologist. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Bibliography

• David Aston, "Takeloth II: A King of the Theban 23rd Dynasty?," JEA 75(1989), pp.139-53.
• Gerard Broekman, "The Nile Level Records of the Twenty-Second and Twenty-Third Dynasties in Karnak," JEA 88(2002), pp.163-178
• Aidan Dodson, "The Canopic Equipment of the Kings of Egypt," (Kegan Paul Intl: 1994), p.95
• Karl Jansen-Winkeln, "Historische Probleme Der 3. Zwischenzeit," JEA 81(1995), pp.129-149.
• Edward Wente, Review of Kenneth Kitchen's The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt c.1100-650 BC, JNES 35(1976), pp.275-278.

Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (born 1932) is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies, University of Liverpool, England. ...

External links

• Osorkon II of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty